Marvel Studios has finally confirmed that it will release 'Gambit' as a spin-off movie of the 'X-Men' franchise sometime in 2016. This will make 'Gambit' the third movie of the franchise that will be released next year - the other two being 'X-Men: Apocalypse' and 'Deadpool'.

However, Christian Today says that Taylor Kitsch will not be reprising the character of Gambit; the actor took on the role of the superhero in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'." Instead, Channing Tatum will portray the character of the mutant with the inimitable Cajun accent. Like the other X-Men characters, Gambit is also a mutant possessing exceptional powers that enable him to bring inanimate objects to life with kinetic energy and use them as weapons for offence.

In fact, speculations about Tatum portraying the character of Remy Etienne LeBeau started floating around since a year back, soon after he was seen talking to 'X-Men' franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner. It has been reported that Tatum was selected for the role after several rounds of interviews to confirm his abilities in delivering the character's accent. Currently writer Joshua Zetumer is preparing the script of the movie.

Meanwhile, Marvel Studios has confirmed the release dates of four upcoming 'X-Men' movies. They are posted below:

•  'Deadpool' - Feb. 12, 2016
•  'X-Men: Apocalypse' - May 27, 2016
•  'Gambit' - Oct. 7, 2016
•  'Wolverine 3' - March 3, 2017

It has been confirmed that Ryan Reynolds will again be seen in the role of Wade Winston Wilson or Deadpool. At the same time, there are rumors that both Reynolds and Channing Tatum will feature in small roles in 'X-Men: Apocalypse'.

On a side note, Marvel Studios has also released the first trailer of its upcoming superhero movie titled 'Ant-Man', which is slated for a July 17 release.